


Compatability

by pinkparasol



Series: Pacific Grid [2]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013), Tron - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Gen, Mash-up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-20
Updated: 2013-07-20
Packaged: 2017-12-20 20:30:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/891521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkparasol/pseuds/pinkparasol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not all pilot candidates find a partner that quickly or at all if they don't have a family member or such to fall back on. Sam is one such and hey, the tech scores say it could work, but something tells him it won't. It's not all because Jr. is a smug asshole either.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Compatability

Another test, another failure right out the gate.

He could almost predict within seconds now of when the synch would cascade into critical failure and the simulation had to be abruptly ended. He also could recite from memory almost every little speech and conversation that would happen each time it did. The only variety being whoever they had tried to pair him up with this time. The same disbelief and exclamations that they had been certain this would be a perfect match; it clearly must be something wrong somewhere else because the numbers don’t lie.

If any of them had listened they would have known this wouldn’t work from the word go. Edward Dillinger Jr. was an asshole, not as big of one as his father but still a big enough one that Sam wanted to punch his face in on more than one occasion.

Of course it would just be an attempt and would take some outside force or one of them being really off for any punch to land. It was one of the main reasons the white coats had pushed for this test, thinking such high numbers would mean a perfectly stable match regardless of how they both felt towards one another. They ignored the sniping and silent or not so silent competitions being held between the two. Saying it wouldn’t matter once the Drift was initiated, as they would know one another inside and out.

That was the part he didn’t want to deal with if he was honest with himself.

He just could never see a day when he would happily let Junior into his head, but telling such to those who worshipped stats and numbers was about as productive as fighting a Kaiju bare handed at times. Which was why he was here in the simulation chamber the cold gel sticking to his skin as wires were attached to monitor vitals before the cap was settled and his stomach felt like it had been filled with the scrap metal that one of the engineer bays had hoarded from several trashed cars and buildings from the last attack.

_Initiating Test Sequence 001 in Five...Four..._

And there was the odd not motion like a door being wedged open and the cold presence of another began to seep in. It wasn’t a Drift, it wasn’t even a Link Up like he had done countless times with various AIs as he tweaked or fixed a snarl in new coding. A barely there tap like walking past someone close enough to feel such without actually touching was how many liked to describe it. They never added the fact that the barely felt aspect was also filled with the low thrum of emotions and press of thoughts and memories waiting for the door to open that much more and crowd in. What did get through was enough though to let him know fully when it wouldn’t work and his own mind fought back against it. Tried to shove it back through the door and close it because it did not belong at all.

Ed’s presence was restrictive, calculating, nothing wasted or given unless it needed to be given. It was smothering and it felt as if his own presence would fade out underneath it as it forced order of its own kind where it went. 

_Test Sequence Failure. Please restart sequence and try again after reboot._

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“There’s usually a common denominator when things continue to fail despite certain parameters saying it will succeed. Perhaps they’re looking in the wrong place when they keep trying to synch you.”

He didn’t even look up from the three screens of scrolling code and technical jargon as the smugness that was Ed seemed to take over the stupidly cramped and chaotic area that was Regulator Gold’s new arm in engineer bay 3. He didn’t care what others said that ego clearly took up more space the Ed physically took up and Sam believed it fully.

“Done terrorizing potentials for partnership into tears because they can’t be as perfect as you think you are I see.”

He could just _feel_ the annoyance and mentally imagined the tightening around the left eye that usually earmarked Junior’s disapproval of anything Sam would say to him. Which meant he always looked a little squinty eyed nine times out of ten when Sam was around.

“They’re clearly not the correct material for such a position if they can’t even handle a bit of criticism or know how to use said criticism.”

“You insult Ed.”

Habits, they allowed him to ignore and not actually think about what exactly was being insinuated when such pointed remarks were made in his hearing. If he actually let himself think about what was being implied with the barbed words he would prove the other right with his silent accusations that it was him that was the problem and that nothing would change or fix it.

“What’s insulting is the fact they let anyone with a score that is less than ninety pass into the final phase of consideration for piloting.”

Not like they really could afford to be that picky now. Sure it was a standard to only take those with impressive scores or a certain flair that impressed the testers when this entire thing had first started out. Now it was throwing anyone together that could have a stable handshake regardless of scores just to replace the dead and wounded. Or mixing politics in your selection process during the last days of being government owned and the brass wanting to prove their officers were better than privates entering the Ranger program. His first failed partnering was one of those if he remembered right. One who only agreed to try because he was a Flynn and he wanted to show up that legacy somehow.

He hoped that guy still has a crooked nose.

 

“...it also shows how desperate they are that they don’t get rid of those they know will never pilot.”

Apparently Jr. had gotten tired of him not fully paying attention if he was using that blatant of an insult. It was enough though and he’s glaring up as concentration is all but broken and the smugness on Ed’s face shows that is exactly what he was goading for.

“So you have a co-pilot for yourself in Canada you’re not telling me about then... _Eddie_.”

If a look could melt someone’s face off Sam was certain he wouldn’t have one right now. Though, Jr. really should have expected some retaliation, even if just a petty and childish one. His lack of synergy with other pilots and pilot candidates was a subject that was only beaten out by family matters in you don’t talk about them if you want him to remain civil.

“You always get so upset over things Flynn, and don’t think about why it upsets you. You can’t brush aside my critiques anymore. I was briefly on the outskirts of your mind in that little act of desperation in whoever likes you trying to keep you on the list.”

When did Jr. start talking seriously over this?

“Face it Flynn, you sabotage yourself. I don’t know why or really care, but do us all a favor and remove yourself from the list if you’re not going to fully commit.”

Only Ed could be so insultingly smug and superior when trying to give actual advice, and Sam wondered briefly if he should actually take the advice for once.


End file.
